House Beautiful articles from January 2008

House Beautiful archives from January 2008

The best!(interior decor accessories )(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Big Time! At a majestic two feet in diameter, this wall clock doubles as wall art. Frosted glass fogs the Victorian-style hands and conjures up the mists of time, adding a hint of mystery to its boldface chic....

Color the classics: this month we called designers with long, distinguished careers and asked: which paint color do you always come back to?
January 1, 2008... "I never paint every wall in a room the same color. Light hits each wall in a different way, so I have to adjust the shade. It's usually white, but not one white. All White is a pure white, Pointing has a little ocher, Slipper Satin has more...

Instant room Beale-Lana: bold is better, if you ask designers Randall Beale and Carl Lana--see what they do here with an unlikely color, black. Don't be shy: go for drama!(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1. Wing Chair and Sofa Beale and Lana are wild for pattern. Try the overscale paisley, DISTINCTION, on a Princeton sofa from Lewis Mittman and on the William and Mary wing chair from Lee Jofa. [ILLUSTRATION...

I'm looking for a dining chair: multiplying by six is always the catch, so we kept them under $500.(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... 1. French Cafe, birch frame with woven rattan seat, $295. Verceral through The Gardener: 888-509-8484; thegardener.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2. Capri, birch and faux leather, $299. Arhaus: 866-427-4287; arhaus.com. [ILLUSTRATION...

The home office: comfort is at the top of T. Keller Donovan's to-do list, whether you're using the room to balance a checkbook or run a business.(THE MAKEOVER PART 7)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] This looks more home, less office with this nice sofa. Actually, it's a banquette with pillows, and it's a great place to work late at night. You need a little softness against all those hard edges. I like to...

Tablescape winter garden: entertaining constantly at home and in her husband's gallery, Tatiana Sorokko sets some of San Francisco's most beautiful tables. Is her style traditional or contemporary? Hard to say ...(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] "I love fresh seasonal vegetables in the centerpiece--it's more elegant than just using flowers." "Keep your centerpieces low so your guests can talk to each other without needing a chiropractor afterward." ...

Spanakopita: Ina picks an international favorite to delight everyone at the table ...(ASK THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] "I have friends coming to dinner and one of them doesn't eat meat. Should I make a traditional dinner plus something special for the vegetarian?" I never make something different for a guest who's vegetarian....

Cookbook: Nigella Express: the Domestic Goddess wants to leave you time for a bath, a drink, and a little conversation with your friends before you serve dinner. Here's how ...
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AT THE END OF AN EPISODE OF Nigella Bites, THE cooking show that made the bosomy British former literary editor Nigella Lawson into a self-described gastro-porn star, she changed into a satiny robe and climbed into...

What really lasts.(furniture)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Recently the owner of one of the great American furniture companies asked me, "How can I make people understand that a dining table is expensive because it's made to last forever?" He was surprised by my answer:...

Comfort really lasts: let decorating fashions come and go. The classic rooms of the great William Hodgins only get better with time.(WHAT REALLY LASTS)(William Hodgins)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The living room of this McLean, Virginia, house by designer William Hodgins feels inviting without feeling over-furnished. Hodgins says he loves the way the owner's 19th-century English landscape painting and dark...

Cottage style really lasts: in a house that's lasted 278 years, the cozy charm that's only possible when rooms are filled with the things you love.(WHAT REALLY LASTS)(John Peixinho)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As if it weren't charming enough, it is blue: designer John Peixinho's 1730 house in Newport, Rhode Island. The color is Newport Blue from California Paints. The fireplace in the living room, OPPOSITE, is one of...

5 pieces of furniture that really last.(WHAT REALLY LASTS)(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... It's hard to think "forever" these days. We're all so busy changing, moving, reinventing our style. Is there such a thing as furniture that will stay with you through it all? Yes, these five indispensable pieces: the demilune table, slipper...

Pattern really lasts: how do you create a soothing room that will never bore you? Layer gingham, florals, stripes, toile.... Yes, they absolutely work!(WHAT REALLY LASTS)(David Mitchell)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SUZANNE SLESIN: There's such a nice a calm feeling to this house. How did you get started on the design? DAVID MITCHELL: I really liked the striped floors in the living and dining rooms, which were painted when...

Michael Taylor's style really lasts: he practically invented California style 30 years ago. Today it looks better than ever in a San Francisco project newly refreshed.(WHAT REALLY LASTS)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHRISTINE PITTEL: You worked for Michael Taylor and took over his design practice when he died in 1986 at the age of 59. What were the signature elements of his style? [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] SUZANNE TUCKER:...

French furniture really lasts: a house that looks dusted with gold has all the elements that make New Orleans style so poetic: French formality, fearless drama, and the ethereal beauty of faded elegance.(WHAT REALLY LASTS)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... MIMI READ: INSIDE AND OUT, THIS COTTAGE COULD BE NOWHERE BUT NEW ORLEANS. WHAT GIVES IT SUCH INTENSELY LOCAL CHARM? KARYL PIERCE PAXTON: Part of it is the indigenous architecture. It's an 1897 side hall Queen Anne cottage. So many of these...

Kitchen of the month: Lakeville, Connecticut: what really lasts? The quintessential white kitchen (the one we all dream of) with the rustic pleasures of a wood-burning oven and fireplace grill.(Carole Lalli)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MIMS READ: You were editor-in-chief of Food & Wine magazine. And for decades you've edited some pretty fabulous chefs' cookbooks. You must have studied every extraordinary kitchen on the planet. Why did you settle on...

The best! For the kitchen: cast-iron cookware makes a comeback ... a warming drawer that slow-cooks beef ... a museum-worthy honey jar.(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... 1. Fire Starter Light a fire or a roomful of candles without striking a single match. Even reach way back to relight your oven pilot. At 9 inches long, it's indispensable. $25. CARL MERTENS through Violet: 888-321-4552; violet.com. ...

Ask the dog shrink: your dog is more flexible than you think.... Accidents on the sofa? No, he's not trying to get back at you.(Q & A)
January 1, 2008... "My dog sleeps on the guest room bed, but my sister is coming for a visit and will use that room. I'm so worried that Spike will be upset!" The first thing you should do is not panic! Most dogs handle change just fine, and sometimes the...

The last words: what's the one piece of furniture you will never, ever, part with? Ten designers share true tales of endurance.
January 1, 2008... "A friend, who also happens to be a furniture maker, gave me a wonderful, almost whimsical, mirror twelve years ago. It's a reinterpretation of a classic George II design, but the frame is birch bark rather than the typical mahogany or giltwood...